1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to sanitary, portable, hand-held, and hand-actuated waste collection devices, and more particularly to a telescopically adjustable, refuse and animal dung collection valet which is configured for convenient and sanitary collection of refuse and animal waste using readily available, disposable bags without the need for the user to either clean the collection device or to have any direct contact with the refuse or animal dung.
2. Background
The need for the collection and disposal of refuse and animal dung from public and private places has existed for as long as people have inappropriately cast off refuse or have allowed their animals to deposit dung in less than desirable places. The continuously increasing population of people and animals, especially in urban and suburban communities has increased the demand for improved sanitary collection devices for capturing refuse and animal dung. Various types of hand held and operated, portable refuse and animal dung collection devices are known which facilitate collection and disposal of such waste. Some types of devices are adapted to catch dung as it is deposited, while other types are designed to scoop up refuse and dung from the ground.
Such waste collection devices come in various configurations which may include a single elongated pole with an actuator handle at one end and a scoop or other kind of capture mechanism at the opposite, lower end. The capture mechanism in certain devices includes a disposable bag with an open end which is placed on the ground near the waste to be collected. In some configurations, the open end of the bag may also be placed beneath the rump of the animal to collect the waste before it reaches the ground. In other configurations, the waste is scooped from the ground into the bag either (1) by use of an accompanying second component or implement, such as a rake or similar device, or (2) by dragging the open end of the bag along the ground in an often unsuccessful attempt to scoop the refuse or dung into the bag.
In yet other adaptations of a single piece collection device, the scoop mechanism of the device includes a hinged paddle member connected adjacent to the open end of the bag. The paddle is nominally biased in a closed position against the open end of the bag. Using a lever or similar mechanism located on the upper handle of the collector pole, the paddle is actuated to an open position and the scoop mechanism is placed with the paddle on one side of the refuse and the open end of the refuse collection container on the other side of the refuse. The lever is actuated again to move the paddle toward the open end of the bag and, ideally, although often unsuccessfully, urge the refuse into the bag. Some collection device configurations incorporate a disposable collection container or cartridge which is adapted to be removed from the collector device and cleaned or disposed of and replaced with a new container after the refuse or animal dung is collected.
Additionally, attempts have been made in the past to configure the collector bag or cartridge supporting hardware so that the bag may cover certain components of the collector device so that elements of the device do not become soiled or contaminated by coming into direct contact with the refuse or animal waste. However, all such devices have significant disadvantages and drawbacks because they either fail to adequately protect such components from contamination, or because they require use of custom-designed refuse collection collectors, containers, or bags. Since no particular standard refuse collector container size is prevalent in the marketplace, a user is put to considerable expense and inconvenience to obtain replacement refuse collectors for the collection device. Alternatively, the user is forced to discard the device and purchase a different device for which replacement containers are available. In addition to these problems, such devices also suffer from the disadvantage that they are unnecessarily heavy to carry and are too cumbersome to efficiently clean, maintain, and use. Other complicated modifications to collection devices have been suggested which are directed to automating the opening, closing, releasing, and disposal of the collector bag using a single handed actuator. Such complicated mechanisms, included those employed to enable the scoop or capture mechanisms to collect refuse, create added fabrication costs and undesirable component failure modes due to the increased number of moving and complex parts.
Even though various types of refuse and animal dung collectors and scoopers have been known for some time, many shortcomings persist in the field of art and many desirable characteristics and needed capabilities are absent, especially with respect to: (1) reducing manufacturing costs, (2) device complexity, and (3) increasing compatibility of the devices for use by individuals of various heights and for use with widely available, disposable refuse collectors, containers, and bags, and (4) preventing contamination of the user and the collection device during use. Presently known devices usually require custom-design bags and are unnecessarily expensive to manufacture. They disadvantageously incorporate a myriad of components and mechanisms which are prone to failure from repeated, ordinary use and the collection devices are difficult to protect from contamination, and to clean and maintain.
What is needed is an easy to use, inexpensive to manufacture apparatus for efficiently collecting refuse and animal dung without the need for complicated mechanisms, custom-sized refuse collection bags, cleaning of the collector components, and which is compatible for use by people of various heights. More specifically, what is needed and heretofore unavailable is a light weight, hand-held, portable and sanitary refuse and animal dung collection device which is simple in construction and straightforward to use, and which requires minimal effort and inconvenience on the part of the user to (1) collect refuse and animal waste without contaminating or soiling any components of the collection valet, (2) remove used, soiled, and contaminated collection bags without contacting the refuse or animal waste, and (3) install new, clean bags on the collection device while avoiding any contact with the refuse or animal waste.
Ideally, the preferred sanitary refuse and animal dung collection valet should be compatible for use with a wide variety of commonly available refuse collectors, containers and/or cartridges including, for example, the flexible plastic bags commercially available and/or provided to customers of nearly every department and grocery store. Additional features of a useful waste collection device should also allow the user to adjust the length of the refuse and dung collection valet and collapse the valet into a small, compact package for easy and convenient transport.